The announcements come during a busy week for NCLH as they prepare for the christening of Regent Seven Seas Explorer, hailed as the most luxurious ship in the world.]]>http://www.iglucruise.com/news/luxury-cruise-line-announce-plans-for-cuba-cruises_a19736396
2016-07-12Carnival Corp will be first to visit Cuba from USACaribbean with their social impact brand, Fathom. US approval of the plans took place in July 2015 but final sign off with agreement from Cuban authorities has just been announced this week. The news ties in with President Obama’s recent visit to Cuba as it seems international relations between the US and the Caribbean island look positive for the first time in over 50 years.

Fathom presents a new approach to cruising and offers those with a socio-economic conscience the opportunity to make a difference to local communities during their voluntourism voyage. Fathom will kick start with an April inaugural voyage onboard MV Adonia to the Dominican Republic, before heading to Cuba from Miami on 1st May this year.

Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation called it “an exciting and historic day” exclaiming - “We look forward to a long and successful relationship”.

Carnival Corporation brands include: Carnival Cruise Line, P&O Cruises, Cunard and Princess to name a few.]]>http://www.iglucruise.com/news/carnival-corp-will-be-first-to-visit-cuba-from-usa_a19736360
2016-03-23Carnival Cruise to CubaFathom from May 2016. This announcement comes after permission approval from US authorities and a continuing effort between the USA and Cuba to “normalise relations”, alleviating heavy restrictions on tourism from the US.

Cuba cruises with Fathom will feature week long itineraries with cultural, artistic and social impact led activities involving travellers and the local Cuban community.

Tara Russell president of Fathom explained “After establishing the Dominican Republic as our first partner destination, Cuba represents an important step for us to expand our ability to offer meaningful and enriching experiences to purpose-driven travellers.”

As international relations with Cuba advance for the first time in 50 years, the destination is expected to feature as a firm favourite amongst cruisers and holidaymakers.

MSC Cruises will be the first to call Havana a homeport with MSC Opera in the winter of this year.

More on MSC Cruises ]]>http://www.iglucruise.com/news/carnival-cruise-to-cuba_a19736215
2015-07-08Star Clipping Across The Cuban SeaStar Clippers have this week announced a selection of brand new, unique and exciting cruises to the Caribbean in 2014. The fabulous Star Flyer will offer seven cruises around Cuba's archipelago as well as a selection of three and four night pre-cruise stays in Havana.

Cuba is an incredible destination that feels like you have just walked into the '50s. The old cars, vibrant culture and world famous salsa dancing really add to the charm of Havana, along with the country's stunning scenery. As the home of the Mojito and Pina Colada, a trip to the Havana Club distillery is a must. The Cuban cigar factory tour and a trip to Ernest Hemingway's former hangouts also add to the experience.

After visiting Cuba's most famous city and taking in the sunshine and culture, you will cruise around the country's coastline, archipelago islands and one or two Caribbean hot spots — filling your cruise with culture and scenery.

Star Clipper will be heading to Cuba throughout February and March next year, with the inaugural cruise including a trip through the Panama Canal and the final sailing including St. Maarten in the Caribbean. All the sail date are:

Star Clippers offer a wonderfully luxurious experience onboard their elegant modern incarnation of the traditional tea clipper ships. The charming wooden clippers are an entirely different world from the typical glamour of 5* cruising and offer a truly once in a lifetime luxury experience at sea.

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2013-03-14Crystal Cruises Offering Film Star TreatmentCrystal Cruises has teamed up with the Centre Theatre Group of Los Angeles for its Film & Theatre cruise, to bring their passengers the film star treatment at its best.

The one-off cruise will include a spotlight on Marilyn Monroe, presentations from guests stars including actress Kate Burton — daughter of Richard and the current US Vice President on hit TV show Scandal — and classic films, theatre documentaries and theme presenter insights.

One of the cruise's highlights no doubt will be the performance from LA's Troubadour Theatre Company — who have created a satirical Shakespeare-meets-cinema-disco musical theatre performance of Midsummer Saturday Night's Fever Dream.

Crystal Symphony's 14 night America's First Cities cruise departs from New York on 2nd November 2013, visiting Baltimore, Charleston, Savannah, Turk & Caicos, Curacao and Aruba, before arriving in Miami. The 6* luxury cruise combined with the great entertainment on offer and the Caribbean's winter sun, makes for a fantastic holiday experience for any film and theatre lovers.

Prices start at £3,803pp for the all-inclusive cruise, including flights from the UK.

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2013-01-23Carnival Jump Onboard The All-Inclusive Package BandwagonCarnival are the latest cruise line to join the all-inclusive drinks package brigade, following the likes of Royal Caribbean & MSC Cruises. If the trial run of the My Awesome Bar Program — currently running onboard Carnival Victory — is successful, the package could be rolled out to the entire Carnival fleet.

Though Carnival have been keeping this pilot scheme under the radar, they began offering the My Awesome Bar Programme earlier this month, which runs at $42.95 per person per day — plus, of course, the 15% gratuity. The all inclusive upgrade not only has a great name, but includes a wide variety of wine, beer and spirits, as well as sodas and non-alcoholic frozen cocktails.

All drinks included in the deal must be from items priced at $10 or lower to qualify. Though, should you fancy a good bottle of wine or some celebratory fizz, the package give you 25% discount. All passengers aged 21 years old and over staying in the same cabin have to purchase the deal — which has become common practice with these deals.

Are these packages good value? If cruising the Caribbean and enjoying cocktails or beers throughout the day is your thing, then they definitely are. You can easily spend over $40 a day onboard, so this takes away the stress of your end of cruise bar bill, as you'll know exactly how much you've spent.

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2012-08-22New Cruise Hub For Dominican RepublicCarnival Corporation — the company behind P&O Cruises, Cunard Line, Princess Cruises, Carnival Cruises and Holland America Line — has announced plans for a new $65 million cruise ship centre in the Dominican Republic.

The new 30 acre Amber Cove Cruise centre is being built at the Bay of Maimon and is due for completion in 2014. Carnival are expecting the new cruise hub to host 8,000 cruise ship passengers daily — vastly improving on the 350,000 cruise ship passengers a year who visits the Dominican Republic in 2011.

The Amber Cove Cruise Centre is being built in conjunction with local shipping company, Grupo B&R, and the waterfront property will boast fantastic amenities. As well as offering a gateway into the Dominican Republic, the cruise centre will feature a market place, restaurants, bars and a water attraction — quite possibly a water park.

Last year saw a 1% decrease in passenger numbers to the country and Carnival are hoping their $65 million investment will reverse that trend. The Caribbean is set to remain a firm favourite among cruises, especially with the cruise lines taking control of the new terminals that have been built in the region over the past couple of years.

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2012-05-16Carey Christens Her FantasyLast week Disney Cruise Line's newest ship, Disney Fantasy was christened in New York by Maria Carey. The new 4,000 passenger ship arrived in New York on Tuesday, with the ceremony taking place on Thursday night.

New Yorker Carey, known for her hits, such as 'Fantasy', said: "I christen thee Disney Fantasy. May God bless this ship and all who sail on it," before going on to say: "I'm going to love bringing my new babies here."

After a 3,800 mile journey from her shipyard in Germany, Disney Fantasy entered the fold with a bang. Before the christening took place, passengers onboard for the ceremony were treated to an hour long show in Disney Fantasy's theatre.

The show opened with actor Neil Patrick Harris introducing the three Broadway-style shows to be shown during the ship's seven night Caribbean cruises. Harris was followed by Jerry Seinfeld, who contributed to the evening with a 15 mintue set, where he joked about the fact he was performing on a cruise ship. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, also made an appearance during the pre-ceremony entertainment.

The Disney Fantasy is the sister ship and is a near identical twin of the Disney Dream, the cruise line's joint largest ship. Disney Fantasy will offer seven night Caribbean sailings in her inaugural seasons, with the first departing last Friday.

Disney's popularity in family cruising continues to grow, with the Disney Magic offering Mediterannean cruises out of Barcelona in 2013.

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2012-03-05US ESTA Scheme to Charge $14US authorities will be introducing a $14 fee for British tourists visiting the country though their ESTA visa scheme.

The visa waiver scheme allows nationals from a selection of countries, including Britain, to enter the US without a visa. The ESTA has been mandatory for visa waiver travellers since January 2009, and has been a free service. The move toward a paid system is currently going through Congress and is due to begin on the 8th September, from when the $14 fee will be applied.

There have been 20 million ESTAs applications to date, with around 25% of them British tourists.

Due to the change in legislation the US Department of Homeland Security is encouraging Brits who are considering a trip to the US to apply for their ESTAs now as they are valid for two years.

For clear instructions for British passengers check out the ESTA application form.

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2010-08-11Guyana increasing in popularity among Caribbean cruise passengersDespite the current economic climate and the impact it is having on the global travel industry, research carried out for the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) found that visitor numbers to Guyana were up by six per cent between January and October when compared to the first ten months of 2008.

This means that, along with Cuba and Jamaica, the country is one of the fastest-growing tourist destinations in the whole of the Caribbean, outpacing the likes of St Lucia, Dominica and the Dominican Republic in attracting tourists.

Speaking on the back of the publication of the report, Guyana's minister of tourism and commerce Maniram Prashad told Caribbean Life that these figures serve to justify recent efforts to place the island on the travel map, including a series of recent initiatives aimed at promoting it as a destination to Caribbean cruise passengers.

"We have been vindicated in what we have been saying all along that Guyana has seen an increase in arrivals for 2009," he said.

As well as its beaches, Guyana is also home to some of the world's most biodiverse jungles, with the elusive jaguar among the rare animals living in the interior.